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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rule — government
  5. rock — a stone
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — a law
  9. court — for sport
  10. fall — the season
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. foot — a measure
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. court — of law
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. court — of a king
  21. dip — to sink
  22. fall — to drop
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com